May 23, 2013
Maria has been living in Dothan for 9 years now and considers herself part of the community.
"Everything I know is here. Everyone I know is here. So it's kinda hard for me to think of somewhere else as my home because I feel like Alabama is my home."
But she has always feared that one day she may be deported.
"When I first arrived here, that's what I was most worried about when I got here because knowing that you are here and you have no legal status, then you're scared of anybody finding out."
On June 15th, Obama announced that the Department of Homeland Security will stop deporting young illegal immigrants, also called “Dreamers”, who meet certain conditions, primarily that they were brought here by their parents before age 16 and are now younger than 31.
They got nickname “dreamers” because many of them dream of the day of they would get the opportunity to live in the United States without fear of deportation.
"We think these people are the fabric of our community and we think that we always wanna do something for them. We use legal powers and the powers that are authorized by the federation to actually make the change."
So several organizations and businesses in Dothan have joined together to help these young immigrants gain legal status.
"Today is when we actually get the first figures of who is eligible here in the Wiregrass area so that we actually have a concrete number."
"I couldn't believe it. It was kinda just a lot for me. I mean, I know it's not everything because I know it's not a legal status, I know it's not an immigration status, but it's something. I can now finally work and help my parents at home."
Castellanos says this event is the first step in taking those who are in the country undocumented and help them to legally obtain a work permit along with a two year temporary resident status.
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